Paternity row: Tiwari seeks adjournment of hearing for 8 weeks

New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader ND Tiwari, who is to appear on October 08 for cross-examination in connection with the paternity suit against him, has moved a plea in the Delhi High Court seeking adjournment of proceedings for eight weeks citing health reasons.

In his application, which is likely to be heard on Monday, 88-year-old Tiwari has sought postponement of his questioning saying he will be unable to travel from Lucknow to Delhi on account of his ongoing treatment of heart ailment.

"I have been advised to avoid exertion and travel," the plea said, adding that the 83-year-old younger brother of Tiwari was also hospitalised.

On October 8, Tiwari is supposed to appear before high court appointed local commissioner SM Chopra, a former additional district judge, for recording evidence on day-to-day basis in the case.

The high court on September 18 had rejected Tiwari`s plea to hold his cross examination at a place other than the court complex.

Earlier, the high court had barred Tiwari from leading any evidence in favour of his claim that he did not father 32-year-old Rohit Shekhar.

The leader has so far refused to settle the lawsuit out of court through mediation saying there is a possibility that the medical evidence is not 100 percent accurate.

The high court had on July 27 last year read out the DNA report in the case according to which Tiwari was shown as Shekhar`s biological father.

Tiwari had given blood sample for the DNA test on May 29 last year at his residence in Dehradun following the apex court`s order in the case, after repeatedly contesting against undergoing the test on various grounds.

Tiwari`s pleas had been objected to by Rohit who had filed the paternity suit in 2008, claiming that the veteran Congress leader is his biological father. Tiwari had refuted his claim.